Laundry machine having vertically reciprocable tub



Feb. 28, 1950 J. F. H-ORVATH LAUNDRY MACHINE HAVING VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE TUBS Filed April 8, 1946 3440M Jul-m I? Hurrah: W, w my Patented Feb. 28, 1950 LAUNDRY MACHINE HAVING VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE TUB John F. Horvath, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Appliance Corporation of America, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 8, 1946, Serial No. 660,483

Claims. (CI. 68-21) The present invention relates to a laundry machine and more particularly to a: novel household laundry machine having a vertically reciprocating spherical container or tub.

An object of the invention is to provide a laundry machine having a novel tub or container which is adapted to be vertically reciprocated and which provides a novel fluid cleansing action. The invention is particularly adapted for use with a laundry machine of the type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 637,964, filed December 29, 1945, but may be used with laundry machines of other types and kinds.

Further objects will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred forms of the invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view in section of a laundry machine embodying the invention, but disclosing only a part of the operating mechanism.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, it is herein shown and will hereinafter be described in a preferred embodiment. It is not intended, however, that the invention is to be limited thereby to the specific construction disclosed. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings there is shown a casing II) for a domestic laundry machine which is divided by partition II into an upper compartment I2 housing the container or tub I3 and a lower compartment I4 housing the operating mechanism. The casing is mounted on a base I5 and in its upper central portion there is an opening adapted to be closed by a cover I6.

The tub I3 comprises a lower substantially hemispherical section I1 and an upper substantially hemispherical section I8. The two tub sections, I1 and. I8, terminate in laterally extending flanges which are attached together by means 'of a clamping ring I9. The lower section is provided with a pair of inwardly extending ribs 20 and 2I each arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and concentric with the vertical axis of the container. As seen in Fig. 1 the ribs 20 and 2| are in vertically spaced apart horizontal planes. In the top of the container is a material loading and unloading opening 22 surrounded by an upturned lip 23 and adapted to be closed by a perforated dooror cover 24 movably mounted in the interior of the tub. The perforated door is of the type shown and described in my above mentioned co-pending application. As seen in Fig. 1 of the present application each of ribs 20 and 2I are of hollow V-shaped cross section so that were a cone passed through the apex of the V of the respective ribs with the sides of the cone bisecting the angle within the V the apex of the cone would fall approximately at the center of the tub.

A flexible member or diaphragm 25 is arranged normally to fit against the inner surface of the lower tub section and snugly over the ribs 20 and 2I. This diaphragm is preferably of rubber or other suitable material and its edge is secured between the flanges on the tub sections I1 and I8 and is clamped therebetween by the ring I9. The tub is mounted on the top of a shaft or stem 26' securely fastened to a flange 21 attached to the center of the lower tub section II; the shaft 26 extends through a bearing 28 in a bracket 29 extending from and attached to the sides of the compartment I4. The lower end of the shaft 26 is connected with one end of a connecting link30, the other end of which link is attached to the crank pin. of a crank shaft 3| mounted in bearings 32 and 33 attached to the base of the compartment I4 and driven from a speed reducer 34 on a motor 35, also secured to the base of the compartment I4. The shaft 26 extends through an opening in the partition II, which opening is made leak-proof by means of a flexible seal or diaphragm 36 suitably secured to the partition II and the flange 21, the seal permitting vertical movement of the shaft.

Means are provided for supplying the container with cleaning and rinsing fluids and the lower part of the container with a pressure fluid. These means comprise an arcuate pipe 31 suitably secured to the upper part of the container and communicating therewith through a plurality of openings in the container. This pipe 3'l is attached to another pipe 38, which leads to a flexible hose 39 and which is connected to a fluid supply pipe 40 which extends through the partition I I and leads to a source of fluid supply. The pressure fluid supply means comprises a fitting M in the lower part of the container section I1 and communicating therewith underneath the diaphragm 25. This fitting is connected to a fluid supply means pipe 42 by means of a flexible hose 43.

' The operation of the laundry machine for cleaning the clothes and extracting and rinsing plication, the shaft 26 is vertically reciprocable' and it and the tub are moved up and down in the compartment 12. The ribs and 2|, each being in a plane substantially at right angles to that of the movement of the tub, provide av violent agitation of the fluid and material in the tub, whereby they are thoroughly cleaned during the cleaning operation and the wash water is completely removed therefrom during the rinsing operation. Not only does the agitation of the tub give an excellent and different washing action from that shown in my co-pending application, but my invention herein disclosed eliminates the necessity for agitating ribs in the upper container section III.

The door or cover 24 is provided with a plurality of perforations, as shown in Fig. 1, for the escape of liquid from the interior of the tub to the upper compartment of the casing when the tub I is overflowed with rinse water through the pipe 38 during rinsing, and when the diaphragm 25 is forced upwardly by liquid under pressure introduced into the space between the diaphragm and the inner surface of the bottom of the tub.

This perforated door may be movably mounted with relation to the upper portion of the tub in any desired manner, as for example, by a pivot pin connecting one marginal portion of the door with the upper portion of the tub, as shown and described in my said co-pending application 637,964. Such pivot pin together with any suitable locking means on the opposite portion of the door, as also shown in my said application 637,964, will prevent the door from falling inwardly and at the same time permit movement of the door from open to closed position.

As is fully described in my said application referred to above, clothes, or other textiles being cleansed, will be inserted into the tub through the door opening in the top and wash water introduced into the tub through pipe 38 to the desired level. Any desired detergent will also be introduced into the tub at the same time. The perforated door 24 will then be closed and locked and vertical reciprocation of the tub started through the medium of the operating mechanism in the lower compartment. When the washing operation has been continued for a sufiicient length of time, liquid under pressure will be introduced through hose 43 and fitting 4| into the space between the flexible diaphragm 25 and the inside of the lower portion of the tub. This will cause the diaphragm to flex upwardly into substantial inverted position which will force the wash water out through the openingsv in the perforated door 24 and at the same time squeeze the greater portion of the remaim'ng liquid in the clothes, or other textiles being cleansed, out therefrom and out through the perforations in the door. This squeeze water will then be released from the space between the diaphragm and the tub which will cause the diaphragm to resume its position shown in Fig. 1; Rinse water will then be introduced through pipe 38 to the interior of the tub which can if desired be continued a short length of time to overflow from the tub through apertures in the door 24 to further carry out any suds and dirty water from the interior of the tub. The reciprocation of the tub will continue during this time and when the rinsing has proceeded for a desired length of time liquid under pressure will again be introduced in the space between the diaphragm and the lower portion of the tub. This upward movement of the diaphragm will force the rinse liquid in the tub through the openings in the door 24 and then squeeze the clothes or textiles between the diaphragm and the'upper portion of the tub and the door 24, the liquid being squeezed out passing through the apertures in the door. The liquid under pressure is then released from behind the diaphragm and the diaphragm again returns to its position shown in Fig. 1. The motor 35 for vertically reciprocating the tub will then be stopped so that the cleansed and squeezed clothes can be removed from the tub and the tub prepared for another batch of clothes or textiles to be cleansed.

I claim:

1. A washing and extracting laundry machine having in combination a casing provided with an upper tub compartment, a lower operatingmechanism compartment and a leakproof partition therebetween having an opening therethrough, a hollow tub having upper and lower portions, said lower portion having a pair of vertically spaced ribs each extending horizontally around the interior thereof, the lower one of said ribs extending upwardly and inwardly at a greater angle with relation to the horizontal than the upper rib and being located nearer the vertical axis of the tub than the upper one, a vertical stem fixed at its upper end to the tub and pass ing through the opening in the partition, and mechanism in the lower compartment for vertically reciprocating said stem and tub.

2. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the lower portion of the tub is provided with a flexible diaphragm, and means for forcing the diaphragm upwardly to squeeze textiles between the diaphragm and the upper portion of the tub, the lower face of each of said ribs being inclined upwardly and inwardly to facilitate separation of the diaphragm from the ribs when the diaphragm is forced upwardly.

3. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 2, in which the upper portion of the tub is formed with an opening through which liquid in the tub escapes during the squeezing operation, the upper face of the upper rib being in an approximately horizontal plane.

4. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the opening in said partition is larger than the cross section of the stem, and an inverted flexible sealing cup fixed at its upper end to the bottom portion of the tub and fixed at its bottom to said partition around said opening.

5. A washing and extracting laundry machine having in combination a casing provided with an upper tub compartment, a lower operatingmechanism compartment and a leakproof partition therebetween having an opening therethrough, a spherical tub having a lower hemispherical portion and an upper hemispherical portion, said lower tub portion having a pair of vertically spaced annular V-shaped ribs extending horizontally around the interior thereof, the lower one of said ribs being formed so that the apex of a cone, the sides of which bisect the angle within the V, falls approximately at the center of the tub, and mechanism in the lower compartment for vertically reciprocating said tub.

6'. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 5,

having a flexible diaphragm normally followingthe inside contour of the lower tub portion and the exposed portions of the ribs, an opening in the upper tub portion for escape of liquid from the tub, and means for forcing said diaphragm upwardly to force liquid out of the tub and squeeze materials being washed between the diaphragm and upper tub portion, the lower rib extending upwardly and inwardly of the tub to facilitate separation of the diaphragm therefrom when the diaphragm is forced upwardly, and to provide an eificient washing action when the tub is vertically reciprocated.

7. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 6. in which said reciprocating mechanism includes a vertical stem fixed to the spherical tub, and a flexible sealing cup positioned around said stem and fixed at its upper end to the bottom of the tub and fixed at its lower end to said partition.

8. In a laundry machine, a spherical tub formed of a lower approximately hemispherical hollow portion and an upper approximately hemispherical hollow portion, said lower tub portion having on its interior a pair of vertically spaced ribs extending horizontally therearound mean's for vertically reciprocating said tub, the lower rib forming a greater angle with relation to the horizontal than the upper rib whereby to thoroughly agitate the materials being cleansed during the vertical reciprocation of the tub.-

9. A laundry machine as claimed in claim 8,

having a flexible diaphragm sealed between the meeting edges of the upper and lower tubportions,

hemispherical portion and a lower approximately hemispherical portion. said lower tub portion having vertically spaced horizontally arranged ribs, the lower one of said ribs forming a greater angle with relation to the horizontal than the upper one, a flexible diaphragm in said tub normally contacting the lower tub portion and the side faces of its ribs, said upper tub portion having an opening for therescape of liquid from the tub, means for inverting the diaphragm under pressure to squeezev the materials bein cleansed and force liquid from the tub, a stem fixed to the tub and extending downwardly through the opening in the partition, mechanism in the lower compartment connected to the stem for vertically reciprocating the stem and the tub, a flexible sealing cup fixed to the partition around its opening and also fixed to one of said reciprocating parts, and means for introducing wash and rinse liquid into the top portion of the tub, the angles of said ribs facilitating movement of the diaphragm upwardly away-from the ribs.

JOHN F. HORVATH.

naramcas crran The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES 

